The January 2026 Virtual Crop is HERE!

It’s officially time for the January Virtual Crop! This is your invitation to kick-start your 2026 scrapbooking goals with a weekend full of inspiration, connection and fun! Let’s get started!

If this is your first time participating in a Virtual Crop and you would like a quick step-by-step guide of what to expect before you jump in, you can get ALL the details about Virtual Crops in this blog post, including how to participate (in our Virtual Crop Group), supplies you’ll need, examples of challenges, types of prizes and more.

Know what you’re looking for? Find it faster here:

In this post, you will find ALL four sketches for this crop (these sketches are for the entire weekend; no additional sketches will be posted), a downloadable PDF with the four sketches for your convenience, hashtags to use when posting your challenge layouts in the Virtual Crop Group, prize information and layout inspiration. This is about to be an amazing weekend and we can’t wait to see what you create!

To make sure we see all your submissions for a chance to win, you’ll want to post each layout you complete as its own new post with the hashtag for that challenge. You have until Tuesday, January 13, at 11:59pm CT (AU: Wednesday, 14 January, 4:59pm AEDT) to submit your layouts for the chance to win a prize (more details on what you can win further down this post!). Again, we’re so excited that you’re here. Happy scrapping!

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Challenge #1 — #CMVirtualCrop1January2026

Challenge #2 — #CMVirtualCrop2January2026

Challenge #3 — #CMVirtualCrop3January2026

Challenge #4 — #CMVirtualCrop4January2026

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Challenge #1

Collection Used: Tropical Garden (Shop Canada | Shop Australia)

Tammy’s Note:  “This layout is all about layers and letting your photos shine. I love how it works with bold designer papers while still keeping the page balanced and photo-focused. If three layers feels like too much, simply remove one, but that extra layer really adds a nice pop. Keep your photos grouped for impact, use a fun border like the Whimsical Scallop to anchor the design, and pop up your journaling with foam squares for a little dimension without bulk. Simple, flexible, and easy to make your own.”

Challenge #2

Collection Used: Winter Bliss (Shop Canada | Shop Australia)

Tammy’s Note: “This layout is a great way to feature your favorite border punch and let it become part of the design. Try offsetting your punched borders to add depth, and ink the edges of banners and mats to give everything a little more definition. Repositionable tape makes placing borders much easier and lets you adjust before committing. This sketch works beautifully with scenic papers or bold designer paper while still keeping the focus on your photos and stories.“

Challenge #4

Collection Used: Your Own Way (Shop Canada | Shop Australia)

Tammy’s Note: “This layout is perfect for storytelling and adding interactive details. The 1/8-inch “magic strip” adds just the right finishing touch, and peekaboo pockets are great for hiding more personal journaling while inviting the viewer to engage with the page. Using numbers helps guide the story and makes this layout ideal for monthly highlights, goals, travel, or a word-of-the-year page. Fun and simple details, flexible design, and lots of ways to make it your own!“

Challenge #3

Collection Used: On The Bright Side (SNEAK PEEK!) 

Tammy’s Note: “This layout is a great way to use scraps while still keeping the focus on your photos and stories. Use leftover strips to build and group the banners and add as many as you like. I enjoyed using larger borders because it anchors the page and pulls everything together giving the photos and journaling a clear place to shine. Simple doodling around the large circles highlights the title and journaling (Circles are 6.5” – Large CCS Circle, outside track, Blue Blade). Using larger elements (border, circle & banners) works here because they’re repeated, which keeps the layout balanced and not too busy.“

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NOTE: The Prize Pack will be awarded to one (1) participant in each challenge. Valid only for products currently in stock (excludes products that are out of stock or expected to return). The digital prize pack being awarded to one participant within all four challenges combined.

We will award the prizes randomly, but to win, it must be obvious you used the sketch we provided as inspiration to create a project. You’re highly encouraged to use Creative Memories products, but it’s not a requirement to win. You have until Tuesday, January 13, at 11:59pm CT (AU: Wednesday, 14 January, 4:59pm AEDT) to submit your layout(s). Prize winners will be announced on Thursday, Jan. 15, at noon CT (AU: Friday, 16 Jan.).

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P.S. Are YOU a member of the Virtual Crop Group? It’s your go-to place for MONTHLY Virtual Crops, MONTHLY Completed Album Challenges, QUARTERLY Secret Box Openings with project tutorials and so much more! We hope you’ll join our community of more than 49,000 fellow memory-keeping enthusiasts — you’ll feel right at home!

“Creativity is intelligence having fun.” – Albert Einstein